Preventing Pressure Injuries in Senior Living Communities: Key Takeaways for Caregivers

Nina ConnerSenior Living

Posted by AP Senior Living, AssuredPartners We know the health and well-being of residents under the care of a senior living organization is a top priority. Still, the development of pressure injuries, also known as pressure ulcers or bedsores, is a common issue. These injuries can be painful and debilitating and, if left untreated, can lead to serious complications. As a result, pressure injuries are one of the most commonly cited and litigated care-related injuries impacting the senior living industry. Read AssuredPartners’ full article here: Preventing Pressure Injuries in Senior Living Communities: Key Takeaways for Caregivers

Cultivating Kindness: National Skilled Nursing Care Week

Nina ConnerSenior Living

By AP Senior Living Team for AssuredPartners Each May, the American Health Care Association (AHCA) honors the essential role skilled nursing care centers play in providing quality care to millions of America’s seniors and individuals with disabilities. This year’s National Skilled Nursing Care Week (NSNCW) theme, held May 14-20, 2023, is Cultivating Kindness. Kindness is a fundamental human value that promotes empathy, compassion, understanding, and respect for others. It has a profound impact on our well-being, and when we show kindness to others, it can significantly impact their well-being too. In nursing, kindness holds immense significance. Kindness lies at the heart of patient-centered care by helping alleviate patients’ fears, anxiety, and distress, fostering a positive healing experience. Kindness builds trust, enhancing communication, encouraging …

PFAS Liability Exposures Are Rising. What Manufacturing Entities Need to Know

Denise GillinBusiness Insurance, Senior Living

By Autumn Demberger for Risk & Insurance “PFAS, also known as forever chemicals, are a group of widely used chemicals that serve as a coating to generally enhance or improve the durability of a product,” explained Brian Kramer, manufacturing practice lead at The Hartford. “These types of chemicals have been in use since about the 1930s, with the primary applications focusing on nonstick and waterproof coatings.” Many say PFAS are the “next asbestos,” but unlike its 1970s counterpart, PFAS are still manufactured in products overseas today, which can open companies up to liability and health-related claims. How can manufacturers mitigate the risk>>>

Incident Track & The Risk Management Center

Denise GillinBusiness Insurance, Senior Living

By Tara Crisp for AssuredPartners One of an employer’s most tedious tasks is tracking incidents and compiling reports on those incidents.  What incidents are you trying to track? Where do you put them all? How do I know if I have a trend? Do I really have to sort through all of my incident reports or loss runs at the end of the year to generate my OSHA 300 logs? Utilizing AssuredPartners Incident Track within the Risk Management Center (RMC) may be your answer to these questions and more. Tell me more>>>

Best Practices for Private Home Health Care Aides in Senior Living Communities

Denise GillinRisk Management, Senior Living

By David Thurber, J.D. for AssuredPartners In the senior living space, the question of home health care aides being utilized at a care facility is one that is certain to come up. There are many factors to consider when deciding how to go about interacting with this additional service for residents that it can become overwhelming. The paramount question at hand is how best to respond to the resident’s desire for this type of outside help, and yet carefully manage the safety and actual or potential liability of the senior living community for errant third-party care, advice, direction, or behavior. And additionally, the community’s role in integrating the third-party’s information, advice, and direction into their responsibility to provide care and …

Adequately Documenting Refusal of Care

Denise GillinRisk Management, Senior Living

By Cathy Knopf, BSN, RN for AssuredPartners.com The law requires senior living communities to “promote and protect the rights of each resident” and places a strong emphasis on individual dignity and self-determination. These rights include the right to refuse treatment or services. Healthcare staff are placed in a precarious position when the resident exercises this right. They are tasked with honoring the resident’s wishes while still providing other care that allows him / her to attain or maintain his or her highest practicable physical, mental, and psychosocial well-being. For example, healthcare staff would still be expected to provide appropriate measures for pressure injury prevention, even if a resident has refused food and fluids and is nearing death. It is important …